I Fall to Fear
by My Reality Is My Own
Summary: It would figure that he'd pick now to have a flashback freak out; in the middle of a kidnapping with no one around but the God of Lies. Tony/Loki
1. Chapter 1

Summary: It would figure that he'd pick now to have a flashback freak out; in the middle of a kidnapping with no one around but the God of Lies. [Tony/Loki]

Inspired by an amazing character study video of Stark; because he's amazing. And I gotta throw Loki in there somewhere.

Warnings; torture, flashbacks, talk of non-con,

~~~~Line Breaker~~~~~

When Tony came to, he felt like he might've pissed off Bruce. Again. Only this time, Hulk actually hit him because he felt like he wanted to die.

His head wasn't pounding; it was agony behind his eyelids, and it made the skin on his skull feel like it burned and crawled and cracked. The area around the Arc Reactor pulsed and pained and pressured whatever heart he had left; he smelled blood and tasted it on his tongue before realizing that yes, his mouth was full of it and he spit it out in disgust as he forced himself to finally open his eyes.

"Aw, hell..."

It was a cave; he was in a fucking cave again. He wondered if whoever took him did this on purpose. If they knew. If they did, he was so screwed because already he had to close his eyes and _will_ away the memories of dirt and pain and water and a friendly voice talking about families and children and wishing that they'd finally just **kill** him-

"Finally awake." a voice drawled, sounding bored despite whatever turmoils Tony was currently going through. "They sounded worried that they had killed you."

He forced his eyes open again, looking his left. Oh, son of a bitch. He scowled, cursing, annoyed when it only caused the God of Mischief to smirk at him. "I can tell this is going to be fun."

"How the hell are you here?" the billionaire asked, not really caring but curious. Loki didn't look like himself; he was pale, dirty and bloody, and from the way his hands were cuffed, it looked like one of his wrists were broken. "I'm guessing not by choice, unless you think blood or dirt is a thing now. It's not, by the way. Maybe for some people, and I appreciate the effort, but not me."

Loki rolled his still incredibly green eyes, though he still smirked at him. "No, this is my own foolishness."

The cuffs were just long enough that he could pull down the collar of his leather armor; a gold...collar was wrapped around his neck, covered in odd markings he'd never seen before. Frowning, he looked between that and the god's face, brain still having trouble putting things together. Like, that he was still alive and conscious, or that Loki was in a cell with him, or how nicely leather clung to him when he wasn't throwing him out a window.

"Having...trouble thinking, for once...what is that?" Tony finally asked, hating that his eyes blurred for a moment before everything weaved back together in a way that made him feel sick.

"The Allfather's way of punishing me." the God explained easily; Tony suddenly wondered why the hell they were both being so civil about this. "It keeps my magic from being used, but not my...heritage. Hence why I looked better than I did a few hours ago."

Tony snorted; lucky bastard. He suddenly gave himself a look-over, feeling nauseous again. His hands were cuffed in front of him, and a shackle was attached to his right leg, connecting to the wall behind him. He moved his sight to the rest of the room; besides being a fucking cave, there was a jail-door that cut them off from the rest of the area. He made out a door further back, but it was hard to see. The only light was coming from a tiny lantern on the other side of the row of bars.

"Cozy." he muttered, already trying to wretch his hands from the their bindings; he could barely move his fingers, and suddenly there wasn't enough room, and he found himself trying to bite them as the shadows began crawling closer, and why was there still blood in his mouth?

"Stark."

He stopped, looking up with dazed eyes; he'd forgotten that the other was there briefly, watching him with curious eyes. He then realized how fast he was breathing and forced himself to calm down. How embarrassing; he was freaking out already and they hadn't even started torturing him yet.

"So," Tony had to stop...stop _thinking_, for once, and turned his body to face Loki, determined not to look at the rest of the room. "Why are you here? I mean, why'd they need the both of us?"

Loki shrugged easily, and the brown-eyed man secretly hated him when he saw him suddenly pop his wrist back into place like it'd never been broken in the first place. "I thought revenge, until they brought you in. Maybe simple fear of someone more powerful, but that does not explain the location. So, my presence just might be that I cannot fight back and they thought it might be some opportunity for them."

"So it's just really my show. Great. I don't share the spotlight well." Tony said, relaxing slightly when the god chuckled. "You know, you're pretty tolerable when you're not throwing me out of windows."

Again came the curious eyes, looking him over, pausing wherever Loki might've spotted something that Tony hoped he couldn't see. "You are beginning to breathe hard again, Stark. Is this something you have gone through before?"

Tony flinched and saw the others eyes light up. Bastard. "Pff, yeah, getting kidnapped and tortured, go through that every night."

He needed to keep his mouth shut.

"Nightmares." Not a question, but Tony gave a half-assed shrug anyway. "And what would give the Man of Iron nightmares every night and have him curled up like a child as you are now?"

"I believe I told you." he snapped, curling his legs up under him, feeling suddenly, oddly, cold.

Loki decided to give him some mercy and didn't push. Instead, he nodded and took to eying the darkness by the door. Like a watch-out or something. And suddenly, Tony just wanted to sleep, curl up against the rocky walls and hope that maybe this was the nightmare and Loki had shown up in them because the God of Mischief was fucking with him.

"You might not want to sleep." He forced his eyes open, weirded out that the god was watching him. "You might have a concussion and neither of us have enough room to make sure you keep waking up."

"I'm a bit more disturbed that you'd worry enough to wake me up at all." Tony muttered, feeling the corners of his mouth turn upwards slightly. "And how do you know about concussions?"

The green-eyed male chuckled lightly, condescendingly. "Well, if you die, might get a bit boring around here. That would be dreadful. Besides, we have such things on Asgard, just not your sickening ways of...'treating' them."

The smile came oddly easy. "Not fond of our medicine practices?"

Loki almost looked horrified but it's hard to tell with the way the shadows are hitting his face. "Looks disgusting. I'm amazed you mortals live the lifespans you do with such things."

"You know how to heal with your magic voodoo shit?" Tony eloquently asked, grinning when he was glared at.

There's a pause, making him think Loki won't answer him. Instead, the god seemed to have pity on him because he was finally feeling a bit better and who'd have thought the God of Lies could be decent company in a kidnapping?

"I learned...but it was difficult." Seeing the curious look Tony was giving him, he reluctantly continued. "In Asgard, magic is used only by the women, who are not allowed to be warriors, and they cannot use it for fighting...When I started learning magic, I was shunned from the others because it was not...normal."

"Seriously? That's what stopped them?" Tony asked, amazed and annoyed at the same time. "Fuck, I'd love to know how to do that; be useful since it's always my ass every body aims for."

Loki grinned, flashing his perfect teeth and Tony forced himself not to stare. "I was not...the best healer, my first attempt I ended up shattering all the bones in my right arm when I tried patching together some skin. But I have learned much since then."

Tony winced, not able to image what that had felt like. He shuddered, noticing that they were both rather comfortable talking to each other about such things. He wondered why Loki would be forced to Earth for his punishment, but didn't ask. It wasn't really important at the moment, and might as well save that story for later, if they needed it.

His mind began to wander, trying to think of something else to say and just...thinking. He couldn't remember anything before waking up...he thought maybe getting into an argument with Steve, since the Avengers were living in his mansion at the moment (except Bruce, who was currently wrapping up things in India but planned on returning). Maybe getting into his limo to head to Stark Towers, but it was so blurry.

He was forced into awareness when Loki stiffened, green eyes scanning the room. He uncurled himself, keeping his eyes on the lantern. He heard it; footsteps. Apparently the rest of the area was caves because they echoed off the walls pretty damn easily. It made his migraine come back with a vengeance.

"Ah, Tony! You're awake!"

No...way.

No fucking way.

Tony stared as the tiny, needle-thin man walked up to the bars, dusting off some dirt from his white suite. He was with four armed men, all of who wore black hunter masks and had matching rifles. They even had the worm's logo splattered all over it.

"Justin. I didn't know you were out of prison yet, I'd have brought flowers."

Hammer grinned, looking out of place and uncomfortable but determined. "Yes, well...I hadn't planned on being there long. Perks of being rich, as you know."

"So, what's up with all this?" He motioned to the walls of the cave, the bars, trying not to bring attention to the Norse God that was watching it all like a soap opera; and dammit if that's not what it felt like. "Seems kinda desperate, even for you, to get me to talk with you."

"Ah, see...that's the problem, Tony." the dirty blond laughed, and it was then that he realized that Hammer had changed in prison. There was something in his expression that had never been there before. "This might surprise you, but this isn't about you."

Tony raised an eyebrow, looking around. "You've kidnapped me, put me in a cave and left me pretty bloody; how is this not about me?"

"I'll get right to it, then." Hammer took out a small piece of paper from his breast pocket, showing it and revealing it to be a picture of the helicarrier that they'd rode in when fighting Loki. "I need to know everything you do on this; I know you rode on it, you've hacked their systems. I need everything, Tony."

"Oh, kinda desperate, aren't you?" Tony asked, rolling his eyes. "You're really gonna start ripping off Shield? The way they operate, I'm convinced that one of your little helpers are probably working for them."

"I've thought it through," the younger man continued, acting like the other hadn't spoken. "Been planning this for awhile, Tony. I contacted your new boss about you; said you might not show up to work for awhile. Gotta admit, I'm a bit surprised that they haven't found me yet, but..." He shrugged, grinning. "Either they're dumber than we both thought or that don't care you're here."

They both looked over when Loki snorted. "Please. With how _clingy_ they all are? It's rather disgusting, actually."

Hammer looked confused. "Right, you...I'm surprised at how easily we captured you after the, uh...remodeling you did on New York."

"Luckily for you." the god said, grinning darkly.

Their captor apparently didn't like that; he nodded to one of the armed guys and he strolled in. Tony yelled when suddenly he belted Loki across the face with the rifle, fighting against his cuffs, watching as a trail of blood ran from the corner of his mouth.

"Give a guy some warning." the billionaire hissed, forcing his eyes away. He'd hate to give Hammer ideas that he and Loki were in this together. He learned the hard way not to have partners in capture.

"Pity." Loki mused, still grinning. "I'd hoped for something a bit more impressive and flashy than that."

"One chance, Tony, since we're buddies." Hammer cut in, eyes glinting. "You gonna tell me what the Shield Craft?"

Tony glared at him. "Fuck. You."

He was suddenly forced up, one guy holding him while another unlocked the shackle around his leg. They then proceeded to drag him out of the cell and through the door, which Tony realized was only wood. Cocky then; he could work with that then. He just needed an opening.

"Do what you will." He heard Hammer say. "Call me when he's ready to talk."

Tony didn't even try to respond; he suddenly couldn't remember where he was. The tunnel or hallway, they were in was too similar and he was suddenly having trouble breathing. They threw him into a room, and he began panicking when he saw the tub.

"You gonna talk?" one of them asked.

He just stared ahead, feeling like his mind was in a lock-down. He wouldn't talk. He wouldn't cry. He wouldn't beg. It had done him no good the first time, he'd never make that mistake again. That didn't stop him from stiffening him they dragged him forward, already able to feel the chilling cold coming off the water in the tub.

Hands gripped his hair, and they kicked the back of his knees, forcing him down. He felt light-headed. Would they kill him if he didn't give in to their demands? Death didn't scare him; not anymore. But he wondered if it would affect anything, if it would seriously hurt anyone. Pepper, maybe. Bruce. Rhodie.

They dunked him, the cold water stinging the various cuts on his face. The back of his head screamed at him, whatever they had knocked him out with had seriously left a mark. The water turned a nasty shade of pink and he hated himself for opening his mouth and choking. His face was already numb.

They pulled him up, gasping for air and shivering. Before he could get a proper breath, he was shoved back under.

He wondered how long it'd take before they broke him this time.

~~~~~~Line Breaker~~~~~

So, what do you think?

I had this idea for awhile, and I really hope that I got the emotions down for Tony. I really wanna focus on the PTSD he has, which is one of the things that makes Tony my favorite of any Marvel hero. :3

MRIMO


	2. Chapter 2

-stares at the number of reviews- Y-you guys are amazing. Seriously. Let me love you all. -sobs-

Also, I find it interesting that only two people mentioned Hammer. XD I was so nervous about making the villain into a known character but I guess you guys don't mind?

Here's the video that inspired this, btw:  
add youtube dot com /watch?v=9k3GiyEXqu8

Warnings; torture, flashbacks, talk of non-con,

~~~~Line Breaker~~~~~

Tony remembered when he had first come home with his Arc Reactor, he had locked himself up to work on his Iron Man suite for weeks. He hadn't slept much, hadn't drank much, because both things led to the horrible nightmares he was plagued by; both meant he'd have to sleep. Even now, most nights, he was forced awake after watching Yensin die all over again.

Briefly, he thought maybe he was in the middle of one of his nightmares; his skin was freezing and every part of him ached. Forcing his eyes open, he realized that he wasn't dreaming.

"Son of a bitch..."

He was laying on the stone floor, soaking wet and noticing that the tub was knocked over. There weren't anyone around to guard him, so he forced himself to his feet, groaning in agony. All his muscles were stiff, the cold really not helping from laying on a stone floor.

He stiffened when the door opened, revealing his two new armed friends. Without a word, they cuffed him again, shoving him forward towards the door. He stumbled, hitting his knees hard on the ground before being yanked up and back into his cell.

"You look horrible." Loki greeted him, raising an eyebrow at his appearance.

Tony tried to glare at him but couldn't muster up the strength. He didn't even argue when he was thrown inside the cell, groaning when his shoulder connected with the wall as he was shackled back up. He thought about spitting on the guy but decided he'd had enough torture for the day. He just crumpled, shivering and finally noticing that his teeth were chattering.

"You really do look badly," Loki went on, either not noticing the trembling or ignoring it. "I could hear you screaming from here."

"S-sorry, I'll try to keep it down next time..." Tony hissed, brown eyes flashing. "Hope I didn't interrupt your beauty sleep, you look like you need all the help you can get."

Loki grinned. "They managed to get under your skin already, Man of Iron?"

The human man scuffed, rubbing his arms to try and keep warm. "Last time I didn't have fucking flashbacks the whole time...I can't tell if I'm fighting real people or nightmares."

He was surprised at the oddly concerned look on the god's face, though it was gone before he could double-check it existed at all; he chalked it up to delusions. "They kept you in the water? The whole time?"

"Well, they let me up to breathe briefly." Tony muttered. "When I went unconscious, they left me there to freeze for awhile."

The liesmith looked him over, rolling his eyes and moved closer. He then extended a hand, which Tony looked over wearily.

"I'm not holding your hand."

Loki chuckled. "Just give me your hand, Stark. I'm trying to make sure you don't freeze to death."

"...Why?" Tony asked, still hesitating.

"Look at it this way: if you are alive, then there's a chance of escaping between the two of us. For a mortal, you are smart. Also," The god smirked. "while you live, the _Avengers_ will be looking for you, and I doubt my dear brother would leave me to die."

"Sneaky."

He finally took Loki's hand, surprised by how callouse they were. Then again, he used a staff to fight. Thor had also mentioned knives. He might use magic, but he definitely knew how to fight. Tony had some scars to prove it.

"So, is this where you tap your heels and we both say there's no place like home?" Tony asked, raising an eyebrow.

He didn't get a response. Instead, suddenly, he felt all the cold leave him, like it was being sucked away. He shuddered, his cloths still wet but at least he wasn't feeling sleepy anymore.

"W-what the hell?" He gaped. "I thought you didn't have your magic?"

"This is part of my heritage." Loki said dryly, looking annoyed.

"What, of being an ice fairy?" Tony asked, blinking. He felt the hand tighten threateningly. "Okay, nerve, sorry."

They sat there in silence, waiting slowly for Tony's cloths to dry and keeping the cold away. The billionaire noticed that the hand he was holding was turning a light blue, but didn't mention it. Whatever 'heritage' Loki was, it wasn't a topic of discusion.

"How long you think it'll take before they give up on us?"

The god looked at him in amusement. "'Us'?"

Tony shrugged. "I feel generous. Thought to include you. You look like you'd be someone to be picked last in dodge ball."

He tensed when the hand tightened again warningly, but he shot him a smile. He got an eye-roll in response. "I give it a week at most. This... 'Justin', seems to really dislike you."

"He tried to get in on my money, then tried to rip me off." He shrugged. "Hammer can't invent a car radio, much less one of my suites. He tried and failed horribly."

"So now he wants to steal that carrier you tried to keep me in?" Loki asked, back to being amused again. "You humans are...interesting."

"One way to put it." Tony muttered. "I'd say greedy assholes, but interesting's...okay."

Silence. Feeling vaguely warm and numb at the same time, he placed his head against the wall and felt his eyes begin drooping without his permission. The last thing he he heard was an annoyed sigh before he finally fell asleep.

~~~~~~Line Breaker~~~~~~

He came to when he heard the jail-door opening.

He didn't open his eyes, listening carefully. He heard no one talking, just scrapping of feet and then the wood door closing. After the footsteps faded, he finally looked to see what had happened.

There was a plate of food on the ground in front of him. It certainly didn't look appitizing, a slab of almost raw meat and some soggy bread with a bowl of water. He frowned, seeing that he had curled up on the floor, and from the warm feeling in his hand, was still holding on to Loki.

"How long was I asleep?" he asked groggily, deciding that he really didn't care that he was clutching the god's hand like a lifeline; he was too dazed, too sore.

"Couple hours. They brought that for you." Loki motioned to the food, making a disgusted look. "Though if you eat it, you might want to inform me what flowers to bring to your funeral process."

Tony laughed, pulling himself up. He allowed the hand to pull away, grinning when the god muttered under his breath and wiped it on his pants. "What, nothing for you?"

"Not that I would eat _that_," Loki muttered. "But I do not need sustence the way you do."

The billionaire raised an eyebrow, curious. "How long can you go without it?"

He got a bemused look, to which he shrugged. Talking was much better than sitting in silence, waiting for whatever would happen to them. Maybe they were judging Loki's power restrictions? He voiced that, causing the God of Michief to look interested.

"It would make sense...though I still wonder why they are keeping me here..." He frowned, green eyes unfocused as he thought.

"Insurance?" Tony asked, poking at the food he decided he wasn't eating. "They can offer you to Shield so they can be let off, then give up me once they're far enough."

He was surprised when he saw Loki's eyes harden, a dark look crossing his face. His hands were clenched, shoulders tensed. Had Loki gone through something similar? It might explain why he was so casual about being kidnapped despite being a god.

"So, have you gone through anything like this before?" He almost flinched when he was glared at. "Just asking. I have, besides the cave thing I mentioned. Got kidnapped once, when I was in High School. But that...that had been different then the Ten Rings..."

Why was he doing this to himself? He felt his stomach lurch at the mere mention of both incidents, but he wanted Loki to talk to him. It made forgetting easier when he could focus on the others voice. Made him forget that they were both sitting in a cell, maybe waiting to be killed.

"Something...similar."

Tony looked over, surprised that he was getting an answer at all. The god frowned, eyes far away. "Wha...what happened?"

He looked uncomfortable, nothing something anyone was used to seeing on the trickster's face. Hell, besides Thor, no one could ever really get him angry either. He was always mocking and dignified, always posing as something better.

"I do not think this information needs to be shared." Loki muttered, something else entering his eyes.

"Make you a deal." Tony offered. "I'll, uh...tell you something, you tell me something. Fair, right? So if you think I'll use anything learned here for something 'untoward', you've got dirt on me too."

The trickster eyed him, before nodding. "I can agree to that."

"Good." Tony cleared his throat a bit, feeling nervous. "So, uh...I was on my way home from High School, walking because I had detention, and I got grabbed off the streets by some guys. They had me locked up in a warehouse and called my Dad for a ransom in return for my safety."

Loki frowned, hearing the waver in his voice and seeing the trembling in his hands. "What did they do?"

The billionaire gave a broken laugh. "Beat the fucking _shit_ out of me. My Dad told them he didn't deal with petty thugs. So, after nearly bleeding out, couple ribs broken, torn tendon in my leg, asI crawled outside and got found by some passing pedestrian. My Dad visited me in the hospital, and said that I better not get detention again after this."

Another odd emotion passed through the god's eyes; something akin to sympathy or finding someone relatable, with what looked like anger. It was a slightly horrifying thought, being relatable to a well-known super villain. But he decided he didn't care at that moment, waiting for the liesmith to say something.

"I have been...on the opposite side." Loki finally muttered darkly. "When my Father-...When Odin learned that I would bring about Ragnorak, he took away my children, promising their return when I could be...presentable."

"Your children?" Tony gaped at him. "You have kids?"

"Four." Was the short response, though his face lightened at the mere mention of them. It was endearing. "But the Allfather hid them from me, but one; Sleipnir was forced to be his own stallion."

Again, he felt his thoughts just freeze. A stallion? What? Loki must have noticed because he laughed at him.

"He is an eight-legged horse, fastest stead in the Nine Realms and son of a god." came the dry response. "My daughter, Hel, became the Goddess of Death in Nifilheim."

"Oh, okay..." Tony smiled, both amazed and oddly touched at the way the god spoke of his kids. It slipped off though, remembering what Loki had said about Odin keeping them away from him in some kind of century-long ransom. "That...that sucks...which I know is a vast understatement, but, damn, Loki..."

Loki grinned, something haunted still in his smile. "I have done things for Odin to see them again, but...at most, I get to see him degrade my son by riding him around like a common mule. But after trying so hard to earn Asgard's respect to see them again, after knowing nothing I did would ever allow them to be free, I stopped trying..."

"That just makes you a good Dad." Tony muttered. "Much better than my Dad. The only time I ever heard him say he _liked_ me was when he was way dead in a video he left me-"

They both stopped, hearing footsteps again in the hall. The billionaire sighed, knowing that he would be forced back into torture again. His hands began shaking again. Focus, Tony. He could do this. After all, if nothing else, at least he had these odd little talks to get him through.

"This will not break you, Tony Stark."

He froze, staring at Loki in confusion. "W-what?"

The god's eyes narrowed, staring at the door as the footsteps came closer. "It will not. No opponent of mine is going to be broken by a mortal before I get a chance at you."

That was...oddly assuring. Before he could respond, the men entered and had him on his feet, unshackled and marched out, shoving him a few times when his muscles seized up and caused him to slow down.

He was brought to the same room. The tub was there, full again, giving off a chill that sent him into panic-mode. But that's not where he was brought. They forced him into an unnoticed operating table, straping him in and leaving him cuffed.

No.

No, no, no, no.

They pulled out a scaple. Then a wrench. One of them put his hands a little far up his thigh, making him snarl like a caged animal. He had to say, Hammer certainly hired the right men for getting information; except, he was Tony fucking Stark and he'd never spill anything despite the way they tore at his shirt, leaving his reactor unguarded and open.

_Please. I can't do this again._

He tried to break free; everything was immobile, he could barely lift up his head at this point. But then they uncuffed his hands, one man gripping his wrist and splaying the fingers across the table tightly as another grabbed the wrench.

"Not much of an inventor if he can't invent."

Before he could respond or argue or even begin to fathom what they were trying to do, the wrench came down on his pointer finger.

Tony couldn't help it; he screamed.

"Let it sink in." one of them muttered.

"Fuck that, the piece of shit's been nothing but trouble."

_Name calling, real mature._

_ He was totally going insane. It wouldn't matter if Shield or the team were looking for him now. He'd be gone long before they showed up, he suddenly hated his teammates. Why was he the only one without super powers? Couldn't the bastards at least give him some anti-pain pill for situations like this? He had to admit, kidnapping seems to happen a lot to him._

_ No. I can't do this. Call it off. It's only going to get worse, they're only going to keep going and who knows if I'll want to be alive by the time I get out of here?_

_**This will not break you, Tony Stark.**_

The wrench came down on his middle finger. He wheezed and cried, feeling it again and again, and finally they smashed his thumb and he was too much of a coward to look and see what would remain of his right hand. An inventor that couldn't invent...he felt sick.

"Get his legs too. Won't have to worry about him running away."

He bit his tongue, not caring that he was tasting blood and it didn't help the feeling of sickness that was settling in his stomach. His vision blurred slightly. The men in masks were quickly forming into men in robes and scarves and he couldn't tell if he was still awake or not anymore. He could only beg them to stop and scream and yell when he felt his femur shatter in one strike.

He was stronger than this, dammit. He was a Hero, he was Tony Stark, he was a genius, he could handle this. Like last time. If he could survive the Ten Rings, he could certainly survive Hammer.

He choked when they dumped the freezing cold water on him. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't think, pain, dirt, agony, why wasn't there anyone trying to get him out of here-

He was shoved off the table, landing in a gasping, choking heap. One of them kicked him in the side, to which he could only lay there and whine in agony. He spit up the blood, stomach lurching but there wasn't anything to throw up.

"Soak him again."

Tony tensed, gasping when he was again kicked and sprawled on to his back. He curled into himself, wrapping his undamaged hand around his torso only to choke on more water that they dumped on him. He was shivering and aching, trying to force himself to breathe.

The billionaire was hardly aware of his surroundings when they dragged him back to his cell. His leg burned and dragged after him at an odd angle that he didn't even want to think about. He barely came to when he found himself all but leaning on Loki, the armed guards gone and his not broken leg shackled.

"I-I can't...do this." He heard himself mutter, still gasping, still writhing in pain and agony and memories. "I can't, not again, no more..."

"Come on, Stark, quit your simpering." Loki hissed, eyes narrowing when the human barely managed to pull himself up against the wall.

Tony shook his head, finally forcing himself to look at the bloody, shredding remains of his fingers. "Even if I manage to get out of this place today, this...this isn't something I can just fix."

He let out a totally manly yelp when Loki grabbed his wrist, looking over the damage. His green eyes stared, looking over the blood and mangled flesh. The god gently released it, then taking his other hand and again draining all the cold and chill from the genius's body.

Tony sighed in slight relief, not caring when he did lean on the liesmith's shoulder, ignoring the way his armor digged into his skin but it was nothing to the other pain he was feeling. If the world could at least grant him this moment of weakness, maybe he could get through the rest of this torture.

He felt and heard Loki sigh. "Sleep, Stark."

"I'm only gonna wake up to nightmares and still be fucking stuck here." he said even as his eyes slide shut.

"Consider yourself lucky to be waking up at all." the God of Mischief replied. "Under any other circumstance, I would definitely have to kill you horribly for drooling on me."

Tony gave a mix between a chuckle and a scuff. "M'not drooling."

He heard the other snort before he was suddenly asleep, silently thanking the god for his reassuring presence in this nightmare. He couldn't begin to image any of this without Loki to, ironically, keep him sane.

This was going to make being enemies much more difficult...

~~~~~Line Breaker~~~~~~~~~~

There! I hope it doesn't seem rushed...writing damaged!Tony is hard. O.o But I'mma trying my best, just for you guys!

MRIMO


	3. Chapter 3

You guys are amazing. C: Really.

So, uh. This is the second to last chapter. I don't want to draw it out and make it boring, so, yeah. You'll see why. ;3

Still, I have an idea for a sequel, so it won't be the end-end, if that's what you guys want. :D

Warnings; torture, flashbacks, talk of non-con,

~~~~Line Breaker~~~~~

He slowly woke up to talking.

It came to him slowly; he felt rested and warm, though the pain was still there and fuck did it hurt. His hand pulsed in agony and his leg felt like it was on fire, but he didn't open his eyes. He was laying on his side, but couldn't feel the cold rock under him; only clothe. And he had a hard pillow under his cheek.

Was...was he still laying on Loki? He remembered vaguely leaning on him, surprised that the god hadn't just killed him for such a thing, but he might've moved. Huh. If he lived through this, he had quite a story to tell Thor.

Finally, Tony forced himself up. Groaning, he rubbed his eyes with his undamaged hand and then looked around. No one was there...weird. And it definitely hadn't been Loki talking, he would've felt it, since his body had decided to lay himself into the god's lap. Oops.

"Did I drool?"

He looked up to see the trickster smirk. "If you had, I doubt you would be waking up now."

Tony yawned, still stiff and in pain but feeling better. "Anyone ever tell you, you make a good pillow?"

Loki raised an eyebrow at him. "...Pardon?"

"You do." He muttered, looking over his hand. It was still horribly disfigured so he sighed and let it drop uselessly. "Anyway, I heard talking...I think. I'm not going crazy, am I?"

"Not about that, no. Your friend was here to talk to you, but I would not allow him to wake you up. He tried, of course. I believe I managed to kill one of them but they pulled him out before I could make certain."

Tony blinked, processing those words. Then a second time just to make sure. "You...you what?"

The God of Mischief chuckled. "I crushed his windpipe. They will either leave us alone for awhile or come back here especially angry."

"You...killed one, chained up and without magic..."

Loki glared at him, annoyed. "I am not useless without magic, thank you."

"No, no, I didn't mean it that way." Tony waved it off, grinning. "I'm just wondering if you'd kill me if I kissed you right now."

"I would." came the dry response.

"Can I try anyway?"

Loki rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "Don't make me regret it."

Tony nodded. "Alright, alright. Can I ask why?" He got a confused look, making him laugh. "I mean, why did you kill him and risk them coming after you? They're focusing on me here, you're just bringing attention to yourself."

He didn't get an answer immediately. Loki frowned, looking almost embarrassed and that made him even more curious. Did the guy insult his hair or something? He gently prodded him, getting a glare before the god sighed.

"You had started crying in your sleep...when you finally settled down, they showed up to take you into a new torture session and I would not let them." Loki said, not looking at him.

The billionaire stared at him. "...Why?"

"Why what?" the god asked in annoyance.

"Why protect me?" Tony really didn't understand it; they both didn't need to go through torture, it would make it harder when they were trying to escape. Granted, he was oddly touched anyway.

Loki scuffed elegantly. "Shall I not next time then?"

"I appreciate it, really. It's nice that someone has my back, but what if they come after you?" he asked.

The God of Mischief didn't answer this time. Tony decided not to push it since he didn't want to make the other feel uncomfortable. He really did appreciate that Loki protected him while he had been sleeping; that was something he wasn't used to, especially while a captive.

Tony sighed, rolling up his dirty pant leg and look at where his leg had been broken. He cringed; it was a nasty purple and green color and a lump where the bone had fragmented. That was so nasty. Huffing, he covered it back up and then examined his shackle. Least his hands weren't cuffed.

"They are becoming impatient." Loki suddenly said. "They are not going to keep humoring us."

Unable to stop, Tony gave an almost hysterical laugh. "That's nice; destroying my career and breaking my leg is humoring me. I wonder what they're gonna do to me next before they finally just kill me."

"Are you going to tell them what they want?" the liesmith questioned him, seemingly pretending he hadn't said anything. "Shield would understand once they see what they've put you through."

"No." He said. "I just...I can't."

Loki nodded. "You keep managing to surprise me, Stark." Tony looked at him in confusion, making the god smirk. "I have underestimated you. Though the loyalty seems displaced, since Shield should have found you already, it is...noble."

"Tch, I'm farthest thing from noble. I just don't like anyone that has better toys than me, and I haven't managed to build my own Carrrier! That's not fair at all." He looked again at his mangled hand and sighed. "I hate Shield."

The god laughed. "Shield? What about your friend Hammer?"

"Oh, I'll deal with him once I have my suit. I'll record it and send it to you as a, 'thank you for keeping me relatively sane while we were both kidnapped' gift."

The trickster grinned. "Well, then the next time I fight the Avengers, I shall remember not to stab you."

Tony laughed. "I know you don't like sentiment and all that emotional shit but I gotta say, this might make fighting you a lot harder." Loki frowned, staring at him. "Really. I can't think of any of my teammates that could do what you've done here. It's not much, but if it had been just me, I just...wouldn't last very long, let's say."

"...You're not lying." The god looked both awed and suspicious. Tony shook his head. "Why would you trust me like this? How do you know that I am not a part of this to get under your skin, earn your trust and then completely break you?"

The billionaire went to reply but stopped. That...that was a good question. After all, Loki hadn't ever been harmed and there was never talk of what the god could be here for. But he shook his head. "You wouldn't come out and say that if it's true."

"You know me well then, Stark." Loki smirked at him. "Takes away the fun if I tell you...still, I do not understand. You think yourself to be in my debt?"

"Basically, yes." The admission was a little frightening, actually. Loki was still technically an enemy, powers or not. That probably just made him more dangerous.

"...You are an odd mortal."

The door suddenly opened, causing them both to look up. Tony hated that his breathing suddenly got heavier; he didn't even think twice of grabbing Loki's hand, though he inwardly cringed. That probably wouldn't look good to their captors. Especially not since Loki had killed one of them.

"Last chance, Stark." One of the pair hissed.

"Wow, you guys are impatient. I mean, last time I was kidnapped, they had me for _months_ and hadn't given up on me! You must really suck at your jobs."

As expected, they unshackled him and dragged him through the jail-door rather roughly. However, that's as far as he got. Dumped on the rocky floor, he gasped when one of them kicked him in the ribs, feeling one of them crack but luckily keep in place. The guard did it again, closer to his hip, and then again right under his arm.

He was definitely having a talk to Fury about getting himself some superpowers. This sucked.

"Kick em in that fucking...night light on his chest."

No. No, no, no. His shirt was in tatters from them having previously cut it, letting everyone see the Arc Reactor and the blue light it gave off. An easy target. He wrapped his arms around it, hissing when he forced his wounded hand under his arm.

"You kick that...I die. So I hope you're ready to deal with that." Tony muttered, then spit on the guy's boot. Nothing much but it made him feel better about just laying there.

He felt said boot connect with his gut. He gave a yell, managing to curl up on to his side. Fuck that hurt. Then he felt it hit his back, at the base of his spine. One of them laughed at him, saying something but the words weren't making any sense when pain exploded in the side of his head.

When his vision and hearing came back, he was coughing up blood on the ground. He felt hands at the waistline of his pants, dragging him back and into the light of the small lantern. He panicked then, struggling despite the pain and queasy feeling in his stomach.

"He's turning into a fucking _pain_. Can't you hold him down?"

The other guard snorted. "I'm not touching him while you...dude, what're you doing?"

Tony felt a weight on his back and the guard's mask next to his face. "I know how to get you to talk, Stark. And once I'm done, I'll put that circle from your chest and watch as you die here, forgotten, on the floor like a bitch."

He desperately wished then that they'd just kill him. No, he wouldn't let this happen. He wasn't useless, he wasn't stupid, why couldn't he think of something, anything to get them to stop? He wouldn't let himself be fucking raped in front of a god that he had suddenly befriended in the past few days.

Then there was a hand on his head, gripping his hair, before his face painfully met the floor. He groaned, trying to push himself up with both hands (which sent a _fire_ through him and he had to force himself not to scream) and he tried to pull himself away but the guard smashed his face into the ground again.

And again. And again. Tony's vision turned black and he felt the weight on his back settle down on him as blood filled his mouth and he could feel it on his face. He wondered if his nose was broken, wondered if this would hurt as bad as anything else he had gone through.

"Hand me the wrench, he keeps struggling."

The words finally were forming and making sense in his head just in time for him to realize what that meant. He gave a dry sob, waiting for the pain and wondering what exactly they were going to break this time. His other hand? Leg? Maybe his shoulders?

It came down on his right elbow, taking a couple tries before they all heard it break. It wasn't like his hand; it could be repaired, and it didn't hurt as much as the others. But after everything, of the torture and the nightmares and delusions and knowing what was about to happen to him, Tony couldn't help it.

He broke.

The tears came heavy as he screamed. He hated himself then; he had sworn that he'd never enter this point again, that he'd never allow himself to get here. Why was this happening now? And why did it have to be in front of Loki? Couldn't they at least do this in a different room, away from those green eyes?

"What the-"

Screaming. He heard it, but not from himself. Slowly, Tony forced his eyes open, not even aware he had closed them. The weight was gone...but he _hurt_, everywhere hurt and there was blood all over the ground in front of him. He wanted to reach up and check his face but that meant putting weight on his arm and that didn't seem like a good idea.

"-rk? Stark?" He tried to look up but he just panted and let his head drop back down. "This...this will hurt, Stark."

He felt himself being rolled on to his back, hissing at the movement. With dazed eyes, he looked up and saw Loki, green eyes scanning his body as his hands hovered close, not sure if he should touch him or not.

"What...happened?" Tony mananged, forcing himself to focus.

Loki swallowed roughly, an act that would've surprised him if he could think properly. "I...I did not want to see that happen to you. So I stopped it."

What? Loki had no powers, right? No magic? How had he broken from his cuffs and then the cell, not to mention take out two guards? But his head was throbbing and and he could only let out a rather embarrrassing whine when he felt arms around him, the god easily picking him up and carrying him out of the wooden door.

"Where...?"

"I'm getting us out of here." Tony shuddered at the tone of his voice; Loki was scarey when he was mad. "Do not fall asleep on me, Man of Iron. I cannot guarantee you will wake up this time."

Right. His head. He groaned, pressing his forehead against Loki's armor, enjoying the chill it gave off. He tried to pay attention to where they were going, but the rocky halls all seemed to paint together in his head and he kept losing small parts of his memory the further they went.

They came to a door, also wood. Tony tried to make sure he remembered sending Hammer a email about better security. This was sad. He winced when Loki kicked it off its hinges, scanning the room. He then crossed it, picking up his gold spear.

"Loki?" Tony suddenly realized something different about the god, finding it easier to focus. "Where...where did the collar go?"

Loki gave a small smile as his helmet formed on top of his head. "Do not worry, Stark. I'll explain once I get us out of here."

"How?"

He didn't get an answer. Instead, suddenly, they were in the middle of a living room. It took Tony a moment or two before he recognized it all has his own Stark Towers living room. Apparently Loki could teleport. That was probably good to know.

"I made sure to trip the alarm, so your Avengers shall be here soon." Loki explained, gently placing him on to the couch. "I am going to heal you, but there's only so much I can do right now..."

Tony smiled, which probably looked terrible given all the blood and possibly broken nose but he couldn't believe that they were out. "Thanks, Loki."

He felt a cold hand on his cheek, which suddenly glowed green; his skin all over began to tingle, and felt like it was being stretched. The pain faded slightly and his vision came back. His arm was still in shatters, but the bruises, cuts and his leg had been healed. And with that, came the horrible realization of how close he had come.

Loki didn't seem surprised when his arms were once again full of him. He expected the god to push him off, he was still a bloody, sweaty mess, but he was suddenly surrounded by him. The god was hugging him, not mentioning how badly Tony was shaking or that his armor was getting wet as he began to cry.

"I'm sorry." He whispered over and over. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be like this, I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Stark." Loki said, hugging the human tighter. "I will not allow this to happen again."

There was a dark edge to the way he said it; it was both frightening and reassuring as Tony clung to him with one arm, his right hanging uselessly against his body. He shouldn't need to rely so much on Loki, he had gone through this before and while they hadn't been as brutal, they had lasted longer.

What made this so different? Why had it been so easy?

"Don't, don't let them touch me..." It came out weaker than he'd hoped, trying to force himself to stop. "They don't, they can't..."

He felt the god nod, and that was enough for him. He tensed when he felt himself being picked up again, partcially annoyed that he could be lifted so easily, and was tucked into Loki's side went they both were seated on Tony's couch, never mind the blood that seemed to be everywhere.

"What do you want me to tell them?" the liesmith asked gently.

Tony frowned. "Nothing...I'll do it, eventually."

They both looked up when they heard the elevator open. His team was finally here. They hadn't found him, maybe even hadn't looked if they were all in Stark Tower, but dammit, they were finally here. But the thought of facing them as he was, of proving how useless he was without his armor, tore at him. His grip on Loki tightened, and he missed the way those green eyes flashed.

As Steve and Clint ran into the room, he forced himself to look up, glaring at them.

"You're late."

~~~~~~~Line Breaker~~~~~~~~~

-glares at chapter- You hate me, don't you? Ugh. Anyway, MOST everything will be explained in the next and final chapter. And I really do appreciate all the critiques and advice I've gotten from you all. You're too amazing.

Question for this chapter; does Loki seem...realistic in this chapter? Too fast? Too protective too easily? I tried to make it seem like he's begrudgingly protective but I dunno if I succeeded. XD

MRIMO


	4. Chapter 4

You guys will never know how much I adore you all. Q.Q Seriously, I wasn't expecting many people to like this idea when I started and then, every day, there's something in my email about alerts, favorites and reviews. So, thank you.

There will be a sequel after I've finished with a few prompts I'm taking. :3 So, thank you all so, so much...

Warnings; torture, flashbacks, talk of non-con,

~~~~Line Breaker~~~~~

There was an incident once, months back where Tony's armor had been compromised in a fight. It was against the newly formed Hydra team, something that had sent Steve into a frenzy none of them had seen before, and they had blasted the Iron Man suit with something that made it completely useless and immobile.

Clint had saved his ass then, shooting the men as they tried to force the Avengers into a surrender, him as a hostage. It had been close, but Tony didn't really care; his life was a dangerous one and he knew he'd die one day. But then Steve and Bruce had freaked out on him that night, begging him to lay low since Hydra was targetting his technology. Obviously, he said no.

It had become apparent as his team stared at him how separated he was from his team; he had no special training, no powers, no abilities and while he wasn't useless, he wasn't...essential. And he wondered if maybe, they hadn't bothered looking for him. What need did they have for Iron Man really?

"Tony..." Steve made to go check on the man, noticing the blood and dirt but Clint stopped him by grabbing his arm, all of them tense when they noticed Loki. "Tony, what's going on?"

"So, how's your day been?" Tony asked them, making sure to look as laid-back and at ease as possible. He almost grinned when Loki snorted. "Mine's been terrible. Torture can do that. So, as I'm **not** spilling Shield secrets, I get saved by Reindeer Games here. So it's, uh, been interesting. Someone mind handing me a drink?"

"You cannot drink; there are some internal injuries that have not fully healed yet." the liesmith muttered.

He sighed, but didn't argue. Of course. Frowning, suddenly serious, he turned back to his awe-struck team. "How long...?"

"A week." Natasha answered, eyes never leaving Loki. "But, Fury just told us about it yesterday."

Tony laughed, the sound unnatural and maybe a bit hyserical. "Oh, that's nice. Been tortured for a week but glad to know it wasn't on Fury's priority list."

"Howardson..." Thor frowned, eying him sadly.

"I can't...I can't do this anymore." Tony muttered, feeling Loki place a hand on his shoulder. "The first time, I fixed myself and I decided to...to become some sort of hero, to help people. But they so easily tore at the weldings and found a weak spot I hadn't known was there and ripped me apart again. And this time, the only reason that I can maybe fix this is because I had Loki with me."

Loki turned to the Avengers. "Can this not wait until later?"

"Later-, Loki, what the hell are you doing here?" Clint hissed, finally addressing the God of Mischief. "Why aren't you in some cell on Asgard?"

The god glanced at Thor, who looked remained silent. "The Allfather decided he didn't want be responsible for me any longer, and sent me here in exile. I was captured not long after, and then they threw Stark into the cell with me."

"Tony..." Steve had apparently decided that Loki wasn't a threat and sat on the coffee table across from the pair, looking like a kicked puppy. "Are you alright?"

Tony sighed. "Steve, I was locked up in another fucking cave for a week. I was tortured. I was starved. I look horrible. I'm covered in blood and dirt and my clothes are torn. I sat there, waiting, knowing that Shield knew I had been taken by this group, but just learned that they only decided to tell you all yesterday. Do you really want to ask me if I'm alright? If I'm okay?"

It looked like the blond wanted to reach out but stopped at the look he received from Loki. "I don't...why would..."

"Brother." Thor came forward, resting a hand on the shorter god's shoulder. "You will stand by Howardson for us until he is ready to explain things?"

"Wha-No!" Clint immediately argued, not caring when the two gods glared at him. "Fuck no, how do we know this isn't Loki's fault? Tony, you know we would've busted you out the second we had known, but you're really okay with Loki just because he helped you? You're just gonna trust him after that?"

"Stark," Natasha cut in before anyone could argue. "We just need to know if we can leave you with him. Otherwise, we can all stay here and wait until you're ready."

It was probably the most sympathedic thing he'd ever heard her say. Tony sighed, rubbing his eyes with his good hand. "I trust Loki. Maybe I'm being stupid and maybe I'm just...fucked up right now but I do. You guys...you didn't see what we did..."

"You're going to have to tell us who did this..." Steve whispered. "And...and what they did, Tony."

"He does not." Loki argued, eyes narrowing. "This would not have been a problem if Shield was competent at their jobs."

Thor's grip tightened on his shoulder. "Loki-"

"Can this please wait until I get a shower and at least fifteen hours of sleep?" Tony cut in, head beginning to ache. "I'll call a meeting and debrief you tomorrow night, I just can't do this right now..."

They all hesitated. Maybe sensing how tired Tony was, his new 'guardian' glared at them, eyes flashing. "You only get one warning before I eject you from the building. It will not be a pleasent experience."

"Guys." Tony cut in, really not wanting to deal with an argument or fighting. "Please, just trust me on this."

Clint frowned, but allowed himself to be pulled out of the building with the others. Thor hesitated briefly to look back at the pair, his expression unreadable but he gave a nod and left. Tony sighed, slumping against his couch. He still ached despite Loki's healing spells and his hand throbbed horribly. He was glad they hadn't noticed it.

"Thank you..." he muttered, glancing over at the god.

"Your team has a good point, Stark." Loki said. "Why do you trust me here now that we are released? I can simply kill you now."

"Well, if you do, please do it quickly before I take some painkillers." the billionaire quipped, grinning at the others look. "Jarvis?"

_"Yes, sir?"_

He gave the liesmith props when he didn't even twitch at the disembodied voice. "Ready a shower, painkillers and the first aid please. Also, go into lockdown. I don't want anyone but me and Loki present at the moment unless they know my secure coding."

"'Secure'?" Loki asked.

"Only two people have it: me and Bruce. I had it put into place because the last time Pepper came to force me to eat something, she ruined my project and made it explode."

_"Sir, your shower is ready. Also, Ms. Potts is calling. Shall I patch her through?"_

Tony hesitated. He knew that Pepper was worried and was probably in a frenzy since he'd gone missing...but he really didn't want to explain things to her. He just wanted to sleep and pretend that the week had been a horrible nightmare. But that was him being a selfish asshole (the whole reason he had ended their relationship) and decided to talk to her.

"Tony? Oh my god, Tony, are you alright? Please tell me you're okay, I walked into the office and you were just _gone_ and now Steve called me and let me know you showed up, but you were..." She paused, not sure if she should be frank or not. Sometimes mere words could cause him to go into a fucked up panic mode.

"I'm alright, Pepper...I just wanted to tell you not to worry and that I'm going into lockdown for awhile to get myself together..." He sighed. "I know that that's not fair, but I need some time to think...I promise not to do anything drastic, Loki won't let me."

Another pause. "L-Loki? Tony-!"

"You're amazing, Pep, thanks!" Tony quickly hung up, turning to the god. "Don't blow up my house while I'm gone?" Loki gave him a deadpan look. "Right. Good. Thanks."

He made his way to his room, all too happy to shed his ripped up clothes and get rid of all the dirt and blood; he stripped quickly and stepped into his private bathroom's shower. Jarvis had the temperature perfect when he stepped into the water, sighing in relief.

It hurt. If he thought his hand was agony before, it was nothing like this. Still, the water felt amazing on his stiff muscles and the _warmth_...He focused on ignoring the pain and how he cringed at the water on his skin. He was probably going to be avoiding his pool for a few more years.

A feeling of shame washed over him then. It was something he was used to, but he couldn't stop himself from curling up on the bottom of his shower and **remembering**. What if Loki hadn't helped him? What if his teammates couldn't protect him? Why did he need protecting when he himself was a super hero? Why did this keep happening to him?

How was he supposed to fix this?

He'd have to quit the team...he was unstable, a wreck. The mere thought of water had his heart racing and a few words could reduce him to a panic mess. His own _thoughts_ could cause him to have a nervous breakdown and then he'd be a liability. And the worse part of it was that there wasn't a guarantee that he could heal from this. Not this time.

The water was cold when he was pulled from his shower. He flinched at the feeling of hands on him but a part of him recognized Loki's voice; the god was muttering something to him but the words weren't making sense. Exhausted, Tony just leaned on him.

"Stop carrying me. S'embarrassing."

Loki rolled his eyes, placing him on his bed. He noticed that some of the other's skin, where wet, had turned blue but it faded quickly. Frowning, Tony wondered what exactly the god was if not Asgardian.

"Your floating voice explained that you were having another...episode." the God of Mischief explained, sitting on the edge of the bed. The billionaire huffed, blinking when he found himself in a pair of his sweat pants and a tee-shirt. "I figured you would not appreciate me touching you so I used magic."

Ah, right. He remembered Loki changing his clothing before. That was pretty handy, actually, he wondered if he could make something to do that... "Can I ask you...how did you get your powers back?"

He wasn't expecting an answer, really. But he needed something to think about, something to distract him before he fell asleep. Otherwise the nightmares were going to come back and he just couldn't handle it right now. Loki was apparently pretty damn perspective because he gave a bitter smile and surprised him.

"I...begged the Allfather to release me from my punishment." Seeing the confused look on Tony's face, he sighed. "I have witnessed and gone through torture before, Stark. I've been separated from my children, I've had my lips sewn shut, poison dripped into my eyes for a couple centuries...watched people die in war. What would happen to you, who tries so very hard to do good despite what you have gone through, I couldn't watch it. So I begged and pleaded with him that he would release me long enough to help you."

Tony stared at him, eyes wide. "W-what?"

"Being with you, in that cell, made me wonder what would have happened to me...if I had reacted differently to all my injustices. You turned into something completely at odds with me and I know that such strength should not be tainted like that. So, he listened to me and I was able to kill them."

"Loki..." The god turned to look at him, and the shorter man could only stare at him still. "I don't think I can really blame you for becoming what you have. Not really. You've gone through this shit a lot longer than I have."

Not that what some mortal said meant anything. Tony knew that whatever he'd gone through could't compare but he needed to say _something_. Sighing, he curled up on his side, wondering what they would both do now that they were free.

"I should warn you." Loki suddenly said, smirking down at him. "After all this..._sentiment_ we've shared, I cannot just let go of you. I believe Thor once described me as a 'possessive mother dragon'."

Tony laughed. "So, this is what? Your claim on me? No more wild parties and women I don't know the names of?"

The trickster grinned. "Something like that...I want to help you, Stark, and that is not something I am familiar with. You...you need protecting, and I feel that I can do that in a way I could not for my children...But I wanted to warn you that I am a god and we are not the most...sharing characters."

There was that same edge in his tone; something that made Tony believe that he so much as thought of looking at someone else, they'd burst into green flames. It was both frightening and welcoming. He usually hated it when someone tried to look after him, tried to help him, but Loki had firsthand knowledge on all this. He had seen Tony at his lowest and still thought him worth saving.

"...Does this mean I'm dating a Norse God?"

Loki hummed lightly under his breath. "I don't think you can handle that just yet...Mostly, I will be agressively protective of you. But you have interested me, Tony Stark, and that does not happen often, especially with mortals."

"You know how to make a guy feel special." Tony snorted, smiling. "But, it sounds like fun."

It wasn't like they had fallen in love or something; and really, it was nice. Loki was making sure that...that his 'charge' or something was okay and if it developed into anything else, they were prepared for that. But they had a lot of issues to deal with, such as getting back at Hammer and explaining things to his team who might not be his team anymore.

"Jarvis will help you with anything you need...just call for him." he muttered, finding that he couldn't stay away any longer. "...Don't leave, okay?"

"Of course."

~~~~~~Line Breaker~~~~~~~~~

Tony slept for over twenty hours; when he finally got out of bed, Loki was watching the news, which was muted when he noticed him. He had to admit, he was impressed that the Norse God taught himself how to use it so efficently, though he probably had to ask Jarvis for help. He gave a tired smile, happy that Loki was still there.

"Jarvis, put on some coffee, will you? And where's the first aid and painkillers?" He asked, running a hand through his hair.

It felt amazing to be clean again.

_"Already prepared, sir. Also, the items are now on the counter waiting for you."_

He made himself some coffee, offering it to the trickster but was declined. Apparently, Loki prefered something sweet and coffee wasn't his thing; ironic, given how much Thor loved the stuff. Maybe they'd share a love of poptarts? The God of Thunder was frightening when he ate those.

"Is your hand still...immobile?" Loki asked, frowning.

Tony nodded. "They ripped the tendons, the bones, broke muscles...I'm no doctor, but it's probably going to be amputated since it's mostly useless. Maybe I can get a metal hand or something."

He said it lightly but the thought frightened him greatly. Sighing, he grabbed the first aid, took four painkillers and moved next to Loki on the couch. He was vaguely surprised when the small box was taken from him.

"What?"

Loki frowned, thinking hard. "I might...be able to heal that."

Tony froze, eyes wide. "S-seriouly? But, before, you healed me and-"

"It would take all my magic...And I would need a few days to recover." Ah, that made sense then; Loki didn't want to be helpless among the Avengers if they didn't buy him helping Tony escape. "After your debriefing, I shall do it but you must give me your word that I can remain here, guarded, until my magic returns."

"Of course. Loki, I pretty much am relying on you to keep me sane the next few weeks, the least I can do if you'd fix this _mess_ is protect you afterwards."

The god gave a small smile, though he still looked weary. "Alright, Stark..."

He helped him bandage his hand after holding Tony down from the disinfectant. Then, after Loki promised that he would still not allow anyone else to touch him, the billionaire phoned in his team, happy to hear that Bruce had returned once he heard about Tony missing.

"Forgive me for not running up and hugging you." Tony greeted the fellow scientist, smiling. "But damn it's good to have you back."

Bruce nodded, seating himself across the coffee table from him. "I came as soon as I could...though the most I could get from Fury was you were kidnapped and that Loki had helped you."

He gave the God of Mischief a nod and a smile, having no real qualms with him. Tony and Bruce were close friends, and the thought of one of them in pain was unbearable. It was probably good that Tony had been found before Shield had called him. India mightt've...not existed after that.

"Holy hell you're still alive." Clint greeted, seemingly more relaxed than last time.

"You're an ass, Squakes." Tony muttered, grinning.

"Fuck yeah, I get to be a phoenix." The archer seated himself at the counter, still eying Loki but at least he wasn't tensed up like he was about to lunge at him. "Fury's gonna show up later, he's dealing with some council business that can't wait. He also said that he's happy to have you back because otherwise most of their funding is gone."

Tony snorted, watching as Natasha, Steve and Thor came in, the blond god looking like he had to restrain himself from hugging his brother. Loki seemed to notice that and sneered at him, eyes narrowed. That certainly made him feel better though; apparently only he got to see Loki being all soft and motherly. Even if it was a bit...creepy to think that the god saw him as a child and maybe a romantic suitor. Maybe.

"Are you sure you've had enough time to get yourself together?" Steve asked, frowning. "Pepper was a bit...angry when she called us back last night."

Tony eyed him, wondering why exactly Steve and Pepper were on first name and calling terms but shrugged. "I'm better now. Something about being able to shower and sleep in a bed will do that to you."

Some of them stiffened at the bitter tone he used. Oops. Running his good hand over his face, he leaned back into the couch. Focus, Tony, focus. At least he had an over protective Norse god that would happily rip them all apart if he wanted him to.

"Okay...okay; the guy that kidnapped me is named Justin Hammer. He was a rival CEO but he sucks. Kept trying to get chummy with me but when that didn't work he tried to have me killed by helping out a convict that tried to kill me." He saw Natasha's eyes narrowed. "I don't know if he's working on his own or not, but he wanted information on the Helicarrier. I refused and got tortured a couple times. What else you wanna know?"

"Why was Rudolf there?" Clint asked.

Tony shot him a look. "Don't steal my petnames, Chirpy."

Loki shrugged. "I have no theories since my powers were unattainable at the time. They never let on why I was there and I remained unharmed."

"What...did they do?" Bruce asked, gaze focused on the floor. "I know it's really none of our business but in case something happens-"

"In case there's something that'll make into a liability. I know." Tony sighed. "I got the water treatment, but I think they used that because it's in my files from the last time I was kidnapped and tortured." He noticed that Steve and Thor looked confused; they didn't like to use technology and hadn't read his files then. "I got smashed up a bit...kicked around, starved but that's because I refused to eat the crap they gave me. Shattered my knee and my elbow but Loki fixed them..."

Thor's eyes widened. "Brother, you really...?"

"Yes, Thor." Loki hissed, green eyes narrowed dangerously. The blond intelligently closed his mouth. Still, there was an impressed, knowing look that Tony wasn't really comfortable with.

"And your hand?" Natasha asked.

He cringed; of course she would notice that. "Apparently unfixable. I've looked into it. They..." He had to clear his throat to stop it from wavering. "They broke _everything_ in it."

"How did you get your powers back, Loki?" Steve asked, finally acknowledging the god.

The liesmith scuffed, arms crossing. "I met the terms given to me by the Allfather."

"Brother..." Thor muttered, frowning.

"It is none of their business how I retained my magic. We are here to be debriefed on how we get back at Hammer. If we are done with that, then I have things I could be doing."

Tony hid a grin, placing a hand on Loki's shoulder. "What next?"

"We'll go over this with Fury...start doing some digging into Hammer and how he was released from jail." Natasha answered. "If Loki is planning on staying, then it's best that you two remain close by since he's targeting you mostly, Tony."

"Good, so, temporary truce?" Steve asked the trickster, offering a hand. Loki eyed it a moment before briefly gripping it, looking annoyed. "Tony, you should probably sit out the next few months then."

"What? Months?" Tony rolled his eyes, forcing a tough act when he wished he could take off the next year. Or five. "Cap, I'm out of this for maybe two weeks. Hammer is after me, he tortured me, and I'm not letting you guys handle him."

"Wait..." Clint cut in, frowning. "Why did we just hear about this yesterday though? If Shield knew about Tony's disappearance from the beginning?"

A tense silence washed over them. Tony sighed, wishing he had something, anything, to drink if only to get his mind off of things. He wanted to badly to explain to them how extensive things were running, how close he had come to being completely undone, but...would they understand? Had any of them come so close to losing everything? To being...tainted and made unclean?

It was pride holding him back, he knew. But how do you explain to a group of super heroes that you were almost raped by a minion? The lowest of the low when it came to villains? It wasn't even a super villain either and Tony suddenly wanted another shower.

"Could there be a traitor in Shield?" Loki suddenly asked. He was unamused by the confused looks. "Hammer called Shield immediately to inform them of our capture. Either as bait or insurance. You are the best chances we had for freedom but you were uninformed until they were getting desperate. Could there be someone in Shield to help them?"

Clint frowned. "It's not a total impossibility, some of us have rather complex backgrounds..."

"So, someone only told Fury yesterday?" Bruce asked, eyes flashing green for a brief moment.

"That would explain why we had to wait a week..." Tony muttered.

Natasha shared a look with Clint. "We're talking about something really serious here...whoever it'd be needs to be pretty high on the Clearance list for this to work...And what motive would they have?"

"Have you slept with any Shield executives?" the archer suddenly asked him.

He saw Loki twitch and grinned. "Nope, never got around to it. But we'll deal with this once Fury gets here...until then, I might go back to sleep."

This...this was good.

Tony walked back to his bedroom, not surprised that Loki had followed. They were going to get down to the bottom of this, his team had no idea he had been sexually assaulted, and they seemed to accept that the trickster was on their side for the time being. Curling up on his bed, Tony stared up at the god.

"After we're done dealing with Hammer..." He hesitated, knowing that his words were going to have weight to them and might upset him. "I' going to have a discussion with 'Odin'. Regarding your kids."

Loki stiffened, eyes narrowed. "That is not something you can fix, Stark."

"I want to try." Tony muttered. "You have a right to see them, you love them. Having a caring parent is...is amazing here in Midgard because we don't see that a lot. And if needed, they can stay here. They can't hurt anyone here, if that's what he's afraid of."

The God of Mischief sat down next to him, green eyes both weary and vulnerable. "Even though I do not think it possible, thank you, Anthony Stark..."

The billionaire shrugged. "Least I can do...We'll deal with things when I wake up, okay? And we can try your magic voodoo if you want to wait until the rest of them leave..."

Loki nodded. "Alright. I shall watch over you...I believe Dr. Banner has his suspicions about what else happened to you in capture."

Sighing, he nodded. "Bruce can read me too well...still, thanks, Loki. This, all of this, it really...really means a lot."

"I am not without my selfish reasoning's. But your sentiment is returned."

Smiling, Tony laid down on his pillow and allowed himself to go back to sleep. The pain was still there, the nightmares came to him once he settled down and Loki had to hold him again as he cried, and he was almost afraid that maybe, he wouldn't be able to be useful to the team in the foreseeable future.

But it was a start.

~~~~~~~~~~Line Breaker~~~~~~~~~

WE DID IT!

- throws confetti- This chapter hated me. Sers. It did. None of the other Avengers wanted to be written so I'm really sorry if they come off weird or OOC and THE DAMN RELATIONSHIP! UGHH. -kicks it- EVOLVE PROPERLY DAMMIT.

NOTE; I see Loki as being motherly since he had a lot of kids; it's one of my favorite aspects to him, and something I adore. So, the reason for him treating Tony like he is, is simply because Tony is a broken child. Maybe not anymore, but he had to deal with a parent that didn't care, and since Loki loves his kids and can't be around him, he wants to fix that. But he also knows that Tony is someone he can relate to, so he is prepared for himself to care for Tony in a romantic way. I just wanted to clear that up.

Also, for future reference, I have written a story as to why I have Coulson running around! :D Just in case you're wondering cuz it'll be referenced in the sequel.

Thank you all so so much, guys. I love you all. 3

MRIMO


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